I was recently given the opportunity to review a book for Faith Village called “Living the Psalms,” by Charles Swindoll.
The book is a devotional that gives encouragement for the daily grind.
I have dreams! I am not unworthy!
However, sometimes I feel I am overweight and look in the mirror and realize I am not twenty anymore.
JT working out.
I run to my Lord and Savior for strength and wisdom. This devotional takes you through a week of thought-provoking questions that need to be answered and involves self examination. Self examination helps keep me in check because I want to live with purpose and in order to live with purpose this is an important key.
The first week sets the stage with The Grind of Compromise: Psalms 1. I read Psalms 1 and was asked the question. What are my priorities in life? This entails soul searching and really makes me look at what I am putting first in my life.
My relationship with Christ has to be first. If He is not first; nothing else will go right in my life.
That means:
1. In order for my marriage to flourish, I have to put God first.
2. In order for me to treat my doggies and family well, I have to put God first in my life.
3. In order for me to be stellar in my career and as a professional blogger, I have to put God first in my life.
4. I have to put God first in every area of my of life.
Swindoll says.
“Compromise occurs when our behavior fails to reflect our priorities. In what ways have you compromised, and how can you get back on track?”
Wow, I get hit right between the eyes with that one. Soul searching time.
The things of life try to take my time away from my relationship with God and I have to rebuke that and cast those imaginations down.
Swindoll’s book makes you look at where you are in life and if you are putting more before God.
I am keeping a notebook because I want to record what I need to work on and any prayers or ideas that come to my mind.
Here’s an excerpt from Youtube on a brief snippet of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to grow deeper in his or her relationship with God. The book stretches you to dive into the word of God.
For me to have an impact I have to walk the walk. Not perfect by no means but growing from day to day because I am a Child of the King.
The last day of the Impressionism, Fashin, & Modernity exhibit in Chicago is tomorrow so if you are in the area, please go and see this exceptional exhibit. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary in Chicago and wanted to see this exhibit. In my first post, Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition: Perfection!I touched on some of my favorites and wanted to come back to show more photos because I couldn’t just pick a specific part of the exhibit.
This dress is exquisite and the shawl is gorgeous. Do you notice that the focus is not on the lady but what she’s wearing? Her face is looking away.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The dress and shawl on the mannequin below is the interpretation of what she’s wearing in the portrait above. It is so similar that I had to really take a second look to make sure I read that it was not the original pieces.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Edgar Degas interpretation of a lady in a hat shop. I have always seen Degas’s ballet portraits; but this is a first for me to see him show a lady either getting ready to try on a hat or has just taken the hat off. The portrait is done in pastels and shows blurred flowers and ribbons on the hats.
Edgar Degas. Millinery Shop, 1879/86. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
Edouard Manet was a sharp dresser and it was interesting to see him portrayed in a top hat carrying a walking stick. I guess I thought he would of been portrayed with a paint brush.
Henri Fantin-Latour. Édouard Manet, 1867. The Art Institute of Chicago, Stickney Fund.
This portrait by Édouard Manet below shows a women reading a book in the park. It looks like a park or a Forest? What do you think?
The brush work lets the viewer peak in to her world. What is she reading? The gloves on her hands or the ruffle around her neck. Is it cold?
Édouard Manet. Woman Reading (La Lecture de l’illustré), 1879/80. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
The exhibition has so much to see.
This is another portrait by Édouard Manet that shows a lady surrounded with a background of fans behind her. She is laying on her couch or bed so effortlessly. It almost seems like she’s saying with her eyes, “Édouard I have been in this pose for hours, are we close to being finished?” What do you think she’s saying?
Édouard Manet. Lady with Fans (Portrait of Nina de Callias), 1873. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rouart, RF 2850.
In the next post I will be focusing on portraits of Renoir, Seurat and some of my favorite dresses from the Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
I enjoyed my visit to Chicago, my mornings were so relaxing and serene.
JTWisdom at Under the Ginkgo Tree Bed & Breakfast in Chicago for Wedding Anniversary
Going the the Art Institute of Chicago really verified what I always say, “a person never stops learning.” We are growing and changing and should pursue learning something new everyday. This is an exhibition I am so happy I had the opportunity to see it.
JTwisdom having breakfast before going to the Art Institute of Chicago
I have quite a few favorites. Click on the portrait to enlarge and see the brush strokes and dresses in more detail.
This painting is of Madame Georges Charpentier and her children. Her son is sitting on the couch and her daughter is sitting on the cute doggie and they are dressed the same. Renoir paid attention to detail in this portrait. Do you see the pleating in her son’s and daughter’s dress? Madame Georges Charpentier’s dress is beautiful and her gold jewelry is exquisite.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children, 1878. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund.
Renoir looks so relaxed and at ease in this portrait. He is dressed very dapper and looks very approachable and care free.
Frédéric Bazille. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1867. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, on deposit to the Musée Fabre, Montpellier, DL 1970 3.
This portrait was quite risque for the time. A woman being painted in her robe. She’s a very brave lady to be painted this way. I know we consider this very tame now but back then it was as if she had not a single bit of clothes on.
Édouard Manet. Young Lady in 1866 (also called La Femme au perroquet, 1866. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of Erwin Davis.
This is one of the famous paintings that’s house at the Art Institute of Chicago, Georges Suerat (1859-1891), A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884. Everyone looks so relaxed and having fun at the Park. This painting is amazing to see with all of those series of continuous dots.
I had to add a couple of pictures of my favorite dresses.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The portrait in the foreground is by Édouard Manet, The Parisienne, 1875. This dress is haute couture of the time. Fashion at it’s best, this lady struts and holds her head up high in this dress. Beautiful!
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Whatever field you may be in communication is vital and a necessity.
In this highly competitive business world, many small companies look for phone options small companies look for phone options that will give them the advantage over its competitors. In many instances, the success of a business is driven by how well its employees communicate with each other and with its clients. Strong communication skills, whether verbal and non-verbal, are essential to make any relationship a success; especially in the business world. Without dynamic communication skills, even a company with the best products or services will not survive.
In my experience, strong workplace communication is not only important but a necessity. Whether it is telephone conversations or email messages, I am in constant contact with co-workers, clients and external contacts, all throughout the day. About.com offers several tips for improving workplace communication, but here are a few of my own tips that have worked for me through the years.
JT at Work
1) Know who you are talking to.
If you are talking with someone on the telephone, or sending an email at the computer, you need know who is on the other end of that conversation. You need to know what your coworker’s role is with the company. Or if it is a client, what is that person’s relationship with your company. If you do not know who you are dealing with, you may say the wrong thing to them and can cause a potential project to be missed. For example, if your client prefers to be called Mr. Smith and you keep referring to him as Jimmy; he may not want to continue his partnership with your company. It is a simple mistake, but often times it is the simple mistakes that have the greatest impact.
2) Know what type of communication is appropriate.
Each person that you come in contact with during the day has his or her own style of communication. Some people mainly communicate on the phone; while others are exclusively email people. If you are new on the job or you are working with new coworkers, it is critically to know how they want to be informed of necessary information. You do not want to send countless emails to someone who never checks his or her email. Check with the person and find out for certain and make sure that in the future any communication is done with the preferred method.
3) Monitor your word choice.
Whether it is in an email message or on the phone, sometimes your word choice can make or break the success of that conversation. Sometimes your word choice may be too rough and people will not respond in a positive way or may not respond at all. Your word choice may confuse the people and produce undesired resulted. Take an extra few moments to construct your email message before sending it out. Or, have the telephone conversation in your mind prior to making the call. This extra time will produce the results you are looking for.
JT at work
The work environment is filled with a diverse group of employees. With a wide variety of lifestyles, viewpoints and backgrounds, it is vital to know how to communicate with each of these people. I have learned that the same method does not work for everyone. Through trial and error, I have learned what works best. But I have had to take the time and learn habits and learn what the specific needs are. If you make the same effort, I know you will have a successful work experience.
I am focusing more on reading the Bible and books that I have in my library. How can I talk about what I believe in if I don’t study and continually develop a personal relationship with the Lord.
I am part of FaithVillage.com and they have a great book review group where I can pick out a book from their selection, they send it to me, I read it and give my honest review of it.
Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore
The book I selected was Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore. Beth Moore is the Founder of LivingProof Ministries. In the early chapters of this book, Beth gives a realistic interpretation of what Mary felt like and what she might of went through when giving birth to the Son of God. One highlight for me is that she made me feel like Mary was human, which she was, not that she was someone that I should worship. I have never read a book that described Mary in so much detail, and Beth writes in a way where she gives her own personal experiences. For example, what she felt like when she first gave birth and how if felt to see her little girl in her arms.
She said that God gave her an example of what Mary’s first moments might have been like as a mother.
A snippet of the book Moore writes:
“Her body lay sapped of strength, her eyes were heavily closed, but her mind refused to give way to rest. She ached for her mother.”
This book really made me think of Mary differently. I knew she was the mother of the Son of God; but to see her imagined in a different light was quite interesting and refreshing.
This book gives a view of Jesus all the way to the crucifixion and is so good at giving observation and specific detail. I felt like I was right there. The author never says that this is the way it was when she describes a specific scenario. She always says that it is an interpretation or what she imagined it might be like. She incorporates scripture so the book is not only of her thoughts.
This book also has a sample of the study guide that can also be purchased if you want to delve into the bible study.
If you want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus, this is good book to start. The number one book is your Bible; but this is a good book to read.
I received this book free from Faith Village.com. I am giving my honest review and didn’t have to give a positive review. This in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Today is our boy’s birthday and he is such a joy and so kind-hearted and loving. When my husband and Gio and I first laid eyes on him we knew he was ours.
Israel, our collie whom we had for thirteen years, went to be with the Lord in April 2007. That was the hardest time for us. It took some time to heal, but we had to have another doggie and a little brother for Gio in the family. I had found a local collie breeder; but we were put on a waiting list because their dogs were not in a breeding season yet. My hubby went on the hunt for a another tri-collie breeder. He searched in the local newspapers but found nothing. He looked for collie websites, but he could find nothing close to home. He happened to look at the classified section of the Chicago newspaper and found a breeder with collie pups available in Sherrard, Illinois; a small town south of the Quad Cities. He called the breeder and she had one tri-collie male left. She sent us the photo of him below; and we knew he was the one for us. The breeder called him Tiny Tuxedo, but we call him Vinny. He looks shy in this photo, however is personality is lively and full of fun.
I remember my husband and I set out on the road trip to pick him up after a Welcome Ministry meeting at Church. We drove more than four hours and ended up in farmland that really did not give a lot of direction. We called the breeder to find our exact destination. When we got out of the Jeep, it was like collie land. Rough collies, short-haired collies, tri-collies, blue merle collies, and Lassie collies were all around us. We got to meet Vinny’s mama, Cleopatra. She was so kind and loving. I see where Vinny gets those qualities from. His daddy is very handsome; but at the time he was in heat so he couldn’t be let out, because, well you know.
This farm was out of a book. The collies had free reign and slept underneath the stars. It was a special place to visit. When we picked up our little guy, he jumped in the back of the Jeep like he knew we were coming for him and was ready to go home with us. At first, I was wondering if his mamma would miss him; but after sometime they don’t feel like that, so it was okay. This little guy was already potty trained, but could gnaw paper with the best of them.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the little fella because he has so much fun in the snow with his big brother Gio.
You may have realized that Vinny is in a chunk of my blog pictures. It seems like when my hubby turns on the camera, Vinny comes running to me so he can get into the shot with me. I don’t have to ask him to be in the picture. He just comes on his own. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
VInny and JTwisdom
My husband, his big brother Gio and I love him very much and thankful that Vinny is part of the family.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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